The present invention relates generally to video conferencing systems and more particularly to the control of the display of a video conferencing system.
With increases in network bandwidth, video conferencing has become more accessible and less costly. For example, many current video conferencing systems allow for video conferencing over an ISDN connection. These video conferencing systems typically utilize a personal computer at each side of an Integrated Switched Digital Network (ISDN) connection to capture and transmit and receive and reproduce audio and video information.
Because these systems are often based on personal computers, these systems typically utilize a graphic user interface to provide control panels and other interfaces for operation. These graphic user interfaces often use a pointing device with an on-screen icon representing the position of the pointing device to control their operation.
Possibly because of the close connection between personal computers and video conferencing systems, many video conferencing systems utilize elements of graphic user interfaces when displaying video information. In some cases, the video information is incorporated into a graphic user interface in the form of a window which only covers a portion of the displayable area of a screen. In other cases, elements of the graphic user interface are incorporated into a predominantly video display.
While graphic user interfaces have made use of personal computers more intuitive, they may still be intimidating and confusing to some users. The combination of graphic user interface elements with video information may also clutter the screen and distract the user from the typically more important video information being presented. Furthermore, the combination of video information with computer generated information may complicate the display process as well as decrease the efficiency with which video information may be displayed and increase the complexity of video conferencing system development.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,515,099 and 5,598,209 are examples of conventional hybrid systems which utilize both computer generated and video information in a display. In these patents motion of a camera is controlled by moving an icon over a video image and then selecting the direction to point the camera. However, this two-step process may not be intuitive and may undesirably incorporatecomputer generated information into a video image and may result in clutter of the screen associated with such a hybrid display.
Accordingly, a need exists for improvement in the control of video conferencing systems that can reduce clutter and confusion among users and can simplify the development of video conferencing systems.
In view of the above discussion, it is an object of the present invention to provide for control of a video conferencing system which is intuitive to a user.
A further object of the present invention is to provide for control of a video conferencing system which does not require computer generated information to be displayed simultaneously with video information.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide for control of a video conferencing system which does not require information to be displayed unrelated to the video images of the conference which clutter the display.
These and other objects of the present invention are provided by methods, systems or apparatus and computer program products that control the setup and display of video information in a video conferencing system by displaying a graphic user interface associated with the setup of the video selections. Thus, the user interface for the video conferencing system may be simplified. Furthermore, by utilizing movement or selection of the pointing device without displaying a pointing device icon, the present invention provides for control of video information in a video conferencing system without the need to combine computer generated information with the video information. Also, because the video information display does not include elements of the graphic user interface, the video display reduces the screen clutter, reduces distractions and maximizes the area of the screen for displaying the information of highest importance. Finally, the present invention provides for a more intuitive control of camera movement by coupling the movement of the camera directly to the pointing device movement or to simple selections with the pointing device buttons or other selection devices.
In a particular embodiment of the present invention, the operation of a video conferencing system is controlled by controlling in real time the operation of a camera which provides video to be displayed through input to a pointing device so as to provide direct control of the motion of the camera through movement of the pointing device. In further embodiments, the operation of a graphic user interface is also controlled by the pointing device by displaying an icon corresponding to the position of the pointing device with respect to the graphic user interface so as to provide computer generated visual feedback as to the screen location corresponding to the location of the conferencing system which includes an icon corresponding to input from a pointing device so as to provide computer generated visual feedback as to a screen location corresponding to a location of the pointing device and displaying video information so as to replace substantially all of the displayed graphic user interface including the icon. When displaying video information, control of the video information displayed is based upon user input from a pointing device without displaying an icon corresponding to the pointing device.
The control of the display of video information may include receiving user input from the pointing device without displaying computer generated visual feedback of the user input and repositioning a remote camera associated with the video conferencing system based upon the user input from the pointing device. Similarly, the control of the video information may include controlling the source of the video information displayed based upon input from the pointing device including selecting for display a source of video information from a plurality of video information sources based upon input from the pointing device. Furthermore, the arrangement of the display of video information from multiple video information sources may also be controlled by the pointing device.
In particular embodiments of the present invention, the repositioning of the camera may be achieved by receiving input from the pointing device corresponding to movement of the pointing device to provide movement data. A timer is initiated upon receipt of the movement data and a camera associated with the video conferencing system actuated in a direction indicated by the movement data. Motion of the camera is stopped if the timer expires without receiving subsequent movement data.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the field of view of the camera may be zoomed in or out in response to user input from the pointing device. In particular, the zooming may be accomplished by receiving input from the pointing device corresponding to activation of a first selection device of the pointing device and actuating a camera associated with the video conferencing system so as to zoom the camera in a first direction in response to the activation of the first selection device. Input is also received from the pointing device corresponding to de-activation of the first selection device of the pointing device and the zoom of the camera is stopped in response to the received input corresponding to the de-activation of the first selection device.
In another embodiment of the present invention if input from the pointing device corresponding to activation of a predefined selection device of the pointing device then the video information is replaced with the graphic user interface and the icon in response to the input.
Thus, the invention recognizes that movement of the camera provides feedback to the user so that a separate icon is not necessary to confirm user pointing device during setup of the video conferencing system.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, the camera is controlled by receiving input from the pointing device corresponding to movement of the pointing device and actuating the camera associated with the video conferencing system in a direction indicated by the movement of the pointing device. Furthermore, a timer may be initiated upon receipt of the movement data and the motion of the camera stopped if the timer expires without receiving subsequent movement data. Similarly, zooming of the camera may be controlled directly through pointing device input. Likewise, the source and arrangement of video information in a display may be controlled directly from pointing device input.
As will be appreciated by those of skill in the art, the present invention may be embodied as methods, apparatus or computer program products.